Among the many things that make Owl’s Head Solutions unique and inform our work are the fascinating backstories and life experiences of our team. In addition to their day jobs, our team members are always seeking adventure, helping others, pushing envelopes, and continuing to learn. Sam Schick is a shining example of this approach to work—and life.
Sam came to us with a stunning portfolio. The work he presented included projects from the award-winning design and communications studio he founded and directed for fifteen years, as well as work from his roles as creative director of Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI and design technologist at Amazon Go, and much more. There is much more to Sam beyond his design work—experiences that add dimension, character, and meaning to how he approaches each project and make him a remarkable creative director and superb cultural fit for Owl’s Head.
Sam has embraced every aspect of creative work since he started his own design practice at age 14—from pitching the client to strategizing the branding to managing the budget to writing the copy and, of course, designing the deliverables. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Beloit College with a major in classical Rhetoric & Discourse, earning a teaching certificate and studying geology along the way, a fascinating start to his eclectic journey. As he developed his creative skills, he pursued his philanthropic interests—working with a transitional housing program at just 18, founding a volunteer service organization in Wisconsin at 20, running a food bank, directing a tutoring organization, to name just a few. Sam also spent some time working as an oceanographic analyst for NASA, living at sea for a few months to study dissolved organic matter in the ocean. Before trading “one coast of tall trees and winding coastlines for another” (i.e., relocating from Seattle to Maine), he served as chair of the Design for Democracy committee of AIGA Seattle.
With his diverse background and deeply felt values, it makes sense that Sam was drawn to Owl’s Head and our work in healthcare and public health, projects that let him use his talents in meaningful ways. It was clear to us from day one that Sam “gets” Owl’s Head, speaking eloquently of our culture and “the explicit connection drawn between values and work, conceiving and executing work that reaches beyond branding to tell stories with meaning and intention.” We thank Sam for expressing the Owl’s Head ethos so perfectly and for joining us as we pursue elegant solutions and design that does good.
FUN FACT: Sam once traveled the length of the Pacific – with a brief residency on Easter Island – as an oceanographer for NASA.